Process of producing soluble salts of potassium and aluminum.



onirisn some rarsrrronniosif MELVILLE F. COOLBAUGH. or RAPID-CITY. AND Esme H. counter. or PIERRE;

' SOUTH DAKOTA.

PROCESS OF PRODUCING SOLUBLE SALTS F POTASSIUM AND ALUMINUM.

Specification-0f Letters Patent.

No Drawing. Original application filed June 2. 1913. Serial N0. 771.2 l3. Divided and this application filed April 23. 1914.

To all whom it may concern.

Beit known that we, Mnnvinnn l Coonimuoir and E WYN H. QUINIHIY, citizens of the 'United States. and residents, respectively, of Rapid ity, in the county of Penningtou' and State of South Dakota, and Pierre. iu the county of llugl'ies and State of South Dakota, have made certain new and useful Improvements in Processes of Producing SoluhleSalts of Potassium and .luiuinun1,ofwhich the following isa specification.

()ur invention relates to improvements in processes for producing soluble salts of potassium and aluminum from silicious and argillaceous earths, rocks or minerals in lac-cons material and the gypsum or limewhich compounds of these elements exist in an insoluble form.

An object of our invention. is to provide a simple process for producing potassium and aluminum sulfates, and one which is inexpensive.

1 A further object of our invention is to provide a process which is applicahleto rocks, earths, or minerals which are found in abundance, and which form therefore a convenient supply of raw material.

Other objects and advantages will appear in the following specification and the novel steps of the process will be particularly pointed out in the appended claim.

This application is a division of a prior application, Serial No. 771,243, filed June 2, 1913.

In carrying out our'process we make use of feldspar, leucite, or other rocks, shales, or clays. These are first crushed or ground to pass through an eighty mesh screen. The powdered material is then thoroughly mixed with gypsum or limestone which has been previously crushed to the same fineness. The proportions of the argillaceous and silicious rock and the gypsum or limestone will vary in accordance with the composition of the rock, earth or minerals. For-the treatment of feldspar rock containingten per cent. of potash we prefer to use one part of the feldspar by Weight to one and eight-tenths parts of gypsum. When limestone, is used the pro- The proportion of gypsum and limestone Serial No. 834,010.

to he used may be widely varied when used erals contain lime as one of their constitu cuts the amount of lime or gypsum to be used should be decreased according to the amount already contained.

ne mixture of the silicious or argilstone is heated to incipient fusion, is then cooled quickly and crushed toa powder. It

is then leached with water containing. for" the treatment of ordinary feldspar three and five-tenths parts of sulfuric acid by weight to each one part by weight of feldspar. he proportion of sulfuric acid to be used in the treatment of feldspar and the other rocks, earths, or minerals will depend upon the g'n-oportion of potash and alumina contained therein. For the most efficient treatment one and two-tenths parts of sulfuric acid byweight is used to each one part of potash by weight and three parts of sulfuric acid by weight to each one part of alumina by weight. A fter" the leaching has been accomplished the potash and alumina as potassium and aluminum sulfates are then separated from the solution by crystallization. v

The yield of potash and alumina is ordinarily from ninety to'ninety-two' per cent. of potash and from ninety-three to ninetyeight per cent. of alumina contained in the feldspar or the other rocks, earths or min-1 erals treated. i l

In the foregoing specification the specific examples are given byway of illustration only, and it will be understood that'the proportions in which. the various substances are brought together may vary without departing from the spirit and the scope of the invention.

We claim: The herein described process of produe ing soluble salts of aluminum and. potassium and a uminum,

minerals, heating the frpln silieious'rocks, earths, or minerals contamm Insoluble compounds of potassium the rocks, form, portion of two and eight-tenthsparts of gyp sum by weight to each one part of silica by weight contained in said rocks, earths, or mixture to incipient fusion, cooling quickly, leaching the product with dilute sulfuric acid, and separating the which. eonsis'ts 'in' reducing,v earths, orminerals to'powdered mixing therewith gypsum in thelpro-- potassium and aluininum sulfates from the resulting solutions by crystallization.

MELVILLE F. OOOLBAUGH. ELWYN H. QUINNEY.

Witnesses for Melville F. Coolbaugh:

1 C; 0.. CRABTREE,

J. P. Knox. Witnesses for Elwyn H. Qninney: 1 H. F. CHAPMAN,-

E. A. JONES. 

